Collapsible or portable lawn or beach umbrella



Jan. 15, 1957 2,777,454 I COLLAPSIBLE OR PORTABLE LAWN OR BEACH UMBRELLA R. KRAMER Filed Feb. 4, 1954 05597 XXVI/145E 2,777,454 Patented Jan. 15, 1957 United States PatentCfiF ce COLLAPSIBLE R PORTABLE LAWN on BEACH UMBRELLA 7 Robert Kramer, Chicago, Ill. I Application February 4, 1954, Serial No. 408,067

1 Claim. (Cl. 1355) This invention relates to a collapsible portable lawn or beach umbrella. I

A principal object of this invention is to provide an umbrella for use on the lawn or beach which can be easily, quickly and conveniently erected, and when not in use can be rolled int-o a small tight and compact parcel for storage purposes.

A still further and equally important object of the invention is to provide an umbrella of the character which will be relatively simple in construction, economical in manufacture and formed of such material as will have the minimum degree of weight.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. 1

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. v

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my invention showing the same in erected position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the invention as shown in Fig. l but showing the same slightly altered in erected position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the invention prepared for storage;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of a suggested method of connecting the stake members to the umbrella top or cover; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of a modified form of construction of a supporting stake embodied in the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings herein the preferred form of construction of my invention is illustrated as comprising a substantially rectangular flexible cover member 10. This cover member may be formed of such material as will best serve the purpose and such as will be of the minimum weight.

At the corners of the cover member are arranged snap elements 11 which may be of any approved construction which will best serve the purpose. Preferably along the long edges 12 of the cover member 10 at predetermined points, I also provide snap fastener elements 13 similar in construction to the elements 11, for reasons hereinafter more fully explained.

The supporting legs or stakes for the cover 10 are indicated generally at 14.

As shown, each of these stakes includes a tubular member 15 frictionally receiving a rod member 15. It is intended that the frictional engagement between the rod member 15 and the tube 15' will be such as will hold the rod 15 in a predetermined adjusted position sufficiently to support the cover member 10 in a desired position.

The upper end portions of the rods 15 of the stakes 14 each are provided with heads 16 which cooperate with snap elements 11 or 13 for detachably connecting the rods to the cover member 10.

The lowerend portions of the tubes 15' are tapered or pointed as at 17 to facilitate pressing or forcing the lower end portion of the tubes a predetermined distance into the sand or ground.

To complete the invention there are preferably provided at opposite end portions of the cover member 10 cord lengths 18 which facilitate the tieing. of the umbrella into asmall compact roll as shown in Fig. 3.

While it is the obvious intention to connect the stakes 14 to the cover 10, it is to be understood that I do not want to be limited to the precise fastening means shown in the drawings for that purpose, as any approved and well known type fastener may be employed.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cover member is extended its full length. In this condition of the umbrella, a person using the same may lie in a flat position beneath the urnbrella. In Fig. 2 I have shown opposite stakes 14 connected to corresponding opposite snap elements 13. By this arrangement an end flap 19 is provided which may be used as a sun or wind break or shield.

When the umbrella is not in use, the stakes are rolled within the cover member 10 in which condition the umbrella may be placed away until future use of the same is desired.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modified form of construction of a supporting stake which may be substituted for the supporting stakes 14. i

In this connection, the tubular section 20 has an out wardly turned bead or flange 21 which is adapted to engage an inwardly turned lip 22 of the outer of the tubes 23. The bead 21 is of a diameter to frictionally engage the adjacent inner wall of the tube 23 so as to maintain the tubes 20 and 23 in a predetermined adjustable position. The construction prevents complete withdrawal or disengagement of the tubular sections of each stake. One or more of the stakes may be provided at the lower end portion of the tubular section 23, with a means for facilitating driving the stakes into the ground. In the present instance this means is in the form of an auger 24 rigidly fixed to the tube 23 and extending longitudinally with respect thereto. If it should be found that due to the hardness of the ground, it is diifieult to thread the auger into the ground, a suitable tool such as a wrench may be employed for firmly grasping the stake to rotate the tube 23 for the purpose stated.

I have indicated that one or more of the modified stakes may employ the auger. Where only one of the stakes embodies the auger, then in such case the anger is used to make a hole sufficiently deep into the ground to permit the convenient driving of the stakes into supporting position.

The modified form of stake as shown in Fig. 5 cmbodies the snap button element such as employed in the stake 14.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eff-ect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A portable collapsible beach or lawn umbrella comprising a flexible cover member adapt-ed to be supported in either a fully ext-ended substantially flat condition to form a substantially rectangularly shaped cover or with either of its opposite corresponding end portions extend- 'ing downwardly from the medial portion thereof to provide end flaps, and means for supporting said cover member in either of its two said conditions comprising snap elements carried by the corner portions of the cover member and other snap elements connected to the cover member along opposite corresponding sides thereof intermediate the corners thereof, rods each comprising telescopically arranged tubular members, each of said rods at corresponding ends having heads for snapped engagement with the snap elements carried by the corner portions of said cover member for supporting the cover member in said substantially fiat rectangular condition or for engagement with the intermediate snap elements for supporting the cover member with its end portions extending downwardly from the medial portion thereof, said telescopically arranged tubular members of each rod having friction means for retaining the tubular members in a predetermined adjusted position, said cover member when not supported by said rods adapted to be folded to provide a roll within which said rods are confined when in contracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

